Accused for Stealing a Bed Urges to be Judged Soon

03.05.2007

Everybody knows the family of Kuraspedianis in the village of Banoja in the Tskaltubo District. Today, everybody praises them for their honesty and is very sorry for their poor life. On February 12 the IDP family accidentally got into a trouble. Group of ten policemen visited the family and searched the house without any explanation. Finally their visit finished with the detention of the housewife of the family.

Thirty-seven-year-old Lali Kuraspediani was detained for stealing a bed. Togo Giorgobiani had appealed to the Imereti Regional Police Department. The young woman was being interrogated for several days and then they detained her. Although the accused Kuraspediani was sent to the Kutaisi prison # 2, the woman could not realize what she was blamed for. Later on it was found out that they charged her for having stolen the oldest bed from her neighbor’s house.

The family of Kuraspedianis with eight members moved into one-room flat eight months ago and since that time they have been coping with poor living conditions. The flat belongs to their relative. Years ago fire destroyed all IDP documents that could prove their status. Thus they have had many problems regarding the situation-they cannot persuade anyone that they are internally displaced people and consequently do not receive any allowances from the state.

“We had so many problems to cope with and now we got into another trouble. My wife has not stolen anything. If we were thieves and dishonest people we should have lived in better conditions. I do not know what to tell my child who asks about mother everyday,” said the husband of Lali Kuraspediani.

Nugzar Kuraspediani was seriously injured during the Abkhazian war. Doctors removed one of his lungs. Other members of the family (brother and mother of Nugzari) are also disabled people. Six-year-old Keti does not contact with anyone since her mother was detained. Relatives say that nobody dares to explain the child that her mother was detained for stealing a broken bed from their neighbor’s house.

As it became clear, the Kuraspedianis had taken an old bed from the abandoned house for a short time. Guests, who visited the family, could not sleep at night and the hosts took the bed. Neighbors claimed that some time later the family returned the bed back to its place. However, this fact is not mentioned in the case material. Moreover, the situation is aggravated and the woman is accused for appropriating some other things from the house.

The abandoned house belongs to the Giorgobianis. The neighbors have not seen those people at their holiday house for many years. The house had been robbed several times before Kuraspedianis settled in the area.

“The Kuraspedianis have lived in that village for eight months only, while that house had been robbed several times before the family moved in. It is quite natural that Lali Kuraspediani does not plead guilty. She took only a bed form the house and then returned it back to. I hope the court will draw its attention to that fact,” said Kuraspediani’s lawyer, Evgeni Omanadze.

Nobody from the Kutaisi Regional Prosecutor’s Office makes comments on the situation.

The accused and her family members demand to earmark the trial on time and they hope they will win the case. The Kutaisi Civil Court is supposed to start the discussion of the case next week.